David's first step!!!

I totally forgot to blog about David's first step!! He took it on his 11 month bday, Monday. Yay!! Hopefully soon he'll be walking more and be off the floor!

Idol

Best Moment from last night:

Brittany and Corliss - 'nuff said

Mckenna-isms

Mckenna just ran in the room and said, "MOM! David's missing a sock AND I'm going to marry Porter."

I said, "You can't marry Porter, he's your cousin."

She said, "OK then I'm going to marry Alladin."

Idol

Best Idol Moment from last night: Paula's hiccup. At 41 seconds into the video Paula has one totally random and super loud hiccup. (I appologize for the audition you have to watch in order to see the hiccup - I thought it was lame)

David's favorite moment was Leo Marlowe's song. David started dancing the second his song began. I actually really liked this singer, so if it weren't for the hiccup, this would have been the best moment - especially since he got all red faced and teary-eyed when they said he was going to Hollywood - so sweet.

"My mom always said she raised the best homecoming queen, too bad it wasn't one of her daughters." - classic

Till we meet again...

President Gordon B. Hinkley June 23, 1910 - January 27, 2008

Interesting find

Kind of a long video(20 min) but very interesting. You can always pause it and come back to lit later.

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

D's Decadent Delights

*warning - sales pitch below*

My friend Danielle(from Murrieta) just opened a new online store called D's Decadent Delights. She's selling her delicious chocolates and cheesecakes. I was lucky enough to be in YW with her when she helped the YW bake a ton of scrumptious treats for a bake sale, and I also was her VT companion so was again blessed every so often with bits of goodness. She's issued a $10 off coupon on orders over $40 until Feb 14th if you use the coupon code: grandopening when you order from her. Unfortunately the cheesecakes are only available for local delivery or pickup, but everything else can be shipped to your door. I highly recommend you order something from her for Valentine's day(I know I will!!).

Mckenna Movie Mania

Jed, this one's dedicated to you.

Pie-doe-man

Ken:(crying)


Mom:Oh no what happened?


Ken:I bonked into the dess-oh(dresser).


Mom: What did you bonk?


Ken: Wite here on my nose.


Mom: Are you ok?


Ken: No


Mom: Do we need to take you to the hospital?


Ken: No, I need a band-aid. I'm beeding.


Mom: You need a band-aid on your nose?


Ken: Yeah. Mommy I need it wite here like dis(points from one cheek to the other across the top of her nose). And I need a Pie-doe-man bandaid.



Supermom saves the day.

Hartman Personality Test

Congratulations. You are YELLOW. YELLOWS are motivated by FUN. They are inviting and embrace life as a party that they're hosting. They love playful interaction and can be extremely sociable. They are highly persuasive and seek instant gratification. YELLOWS need to be adored and praised. While YELLOWS are carefree, they are sensitive and highly alert to others' agendas to control them. YELLOWS typically carry within themselves the gift of a good heart.
YELLOWS need to look good socially, and friendships command a high priority in their lives. YELLOWS are happy, articulate, engaging of others and crave adventure. Easily distracted, they can never sit still for long. They embrace each day in the "present tense" and choose people who, like themselves, enjoy a curious nature. YELLOWS are charismatic, spontaneous, and positive; but can also be irresponsible, obnoxious, and forgetful. When others interact with you, as a YELLOW you respond to them best if they take a positive, upbeat approach and promote light-hearted, creative, and fun interactions with you.


Understand that no two YELLOWS are exactly alike. Although you share the same core motivation as many others, your personality is still unique to you alone.

What color are you?

Take the test and post on your blog! :)
I've known I am a yellow for a long time but it always amazes me how right-on the description of me is. I'm totally a yellow, with blue next and very close after is red, with white falling way low. I already know what Ian and my sister are, but what is everyone else? And what do you think of the description of me?

Idol

I appologize for my late post, but better late than never, right? I was going to post two from Tuesday night but now I can't remember who my second pick was. :)


Best moment from Tuesday night:
Michael Johns - LOVE his voice. And he seems humble.



Best moment from Wednesday night:
The Lampkins - Don't they just make you smile?


I really was thinking I was going to post a video of Oliver Highman...after all the talk about him and his sweet baby I thought for sure he'd have a great voice. And he was so sweet I just really wanted him to have a great voice. But, alas, we don't always get what we want. I love that Paula wanted to change her vote after he brought the baby in.

And the winner is...

I found these cloth napkins at Pier 1 yesterday. They're brand new and I love them. The woman working there said that she's sure they'll get more coordinating items, she just doesn't know if they'll be limited to place mats and table runners or if there will be coordinating curtains and other accessories. So for now, I'm going to use Hannah's wonderful advice and make pillows from these napkins, and wait patiently to see what else Pier 1 has up their sleeve.

I also got this at Ikea today:

I'm now in the process of trying to decide if I'm bold enough to use it as the light above my kitchen table. I think I need the bigger one if I'm going to do it. They had it hanging in a kids room-like area, but it matches my napkin-pillows so well. We'll see...

Oh and thank you all for your ideas and suggestions, but trust me...I've looked everywhere. If Pier one doesn't come out with matching curtains I'll probably just get some red fabric and sew some napkins on the top or bottom. I just love that pattern!

$$$

This was a nice article to read today.

$1.86

You know those Visa check card comercials where the store is hoppin' and someone goes to make a purchase by writing a check - and then the whole store freezes and looks at them? Yeah...that happened today(well not exactly, but close).

I was at Target today and this woman in front of me bought one item for $1.86. She whipped out her check book, asked the checker for a pen and then proceeded to write a check for a dollar and eighty six cents!!! This woman wasn't even that old - maybe 45. The checker probably earned $1.86 while she was waiting for the woman to carefully write out her check. It didn't annoy me that she took the time, I just thought it was so funny! The whole store was moving along just fine, the woman had a quick one-item purchase(or so I thought she'd be quick), and then she pulls the checkbook out... Has she never heard of a debit card?? Too funny.

Honest Opinion

I have looked everywhere to find the perfect armchair for my family room...I gave up - I don't think it exists. Pottery Barn used to make one, and Pier one used to, but no one does now. So instead of a fun chair, I bought a neutral tone chair and will make fun curtains and matching pillows. I want a fabric that has reds and greens but isn't too dark. I wish Amy Butler made more fabric with red in it because I would buy it in a heartbeat. Here are some Amy Butlers that I like - just wrong colors:

So since I can't find anything like that in the right color I found a different fabric that I think I like. But I want you honest opinion...What do you think?

Those of you that have been in my house and seen the green couch and the red kitchen accessories - does this match? Is it cute? Our kitchen/family/dining room is pretty big and open so I feel like I can do a kind of bright and bold pattern, but I don't quite know if I love this one enough.

Overcoming Temptation

Ian and I gave talks in Sacrament today. While I'm not going to share my whole talk with you, I thought I'd post the quotes and scriptures that I used. I geared my talk more towards the youth in our ward since I felt that they were probably confronting the most temptation.


Spencer W. Kimball told about a huge tidal wave that struck Hilo, Hawaii, in 1946 with walls of water forty feet high. He described the devastation this way: “Homes had been overturned and shredded, crushed into splinters like toothpicks; fences and gardens were obliterated; bridges and roads were washed away. … Where one of our little chapels had stood, nothing remained but the foundation. More than a hundred people lost their lives; as many more were injured; thousands were left homeless. … One woman told how she received a telephone message from friends to get out and to leave—that a tidal wave was coming. She looked out to sea and saw the monstrous wave approaching, like a mountain. She and her husband picked up the baby and ran for their lives up the hill. However, two of their little girls were away from home playing near a clump of lauhala trees. They saw the wave coming, ran into the trees, and held tightly with their arms around the tree trunks. The first gigantic wave washed entirely over them, but they held their breath and clung with all their might until the water receded and their heads were again above the water. When the wave receded, they quickly ran up the hill before the succeeding waves came. Together, the family watched from the safety of the hill as their home disappeared under the pounding of the waves.”

President Kimball continued: “We, too, are faced with powerful, destructive forces unleashed by the adversary. Waves of sin, wickedness, immorality, degradation, tyranny, deceitfulness, conspiracy, and dishonesty threaten all of us. They come with great power and speed and will destroy us if we are not watchful” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1978, pp. 5–6; or Ensign, Nov. 1978, pp. 5–6).


“But a warning is sounded for us. It behooves us to be alert and to listen and flee from the evil for our eternal lives. Without help we cannot stand against it. We must flee to high ground or cling fast to that which can keep us from being swept away. That to which we must cling for safety is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is our protection from whatever force the evil one can muster” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1978, p. 6; or Ensign, Nov. 1978, p. 6; italics added).

Ephesians 6:11-12 “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”


“There is an oft-told story of three men who applied for the job of driving the coaches for a transportation company. The successful applicant would be driving over high, dangerous and precipitous mountain roads. Asked how well he could drive, the first one replied: ‘I am a good, experienced driver. I can drive so close to the edge of the precipice that the wide metal tire of the vehicle will skirt the edge and never go off.’

“ ‘That is good driving,’ said the employer.

“The second man boasted, ‘Oh, I can do better than that. I can drive so accurately that the tire of the vehicle will lap over, half of the tire on the edge of the precipice, and the other half in the air over the edge.’

“The employer wondered what the third man could offer, and was surprised and pleased to hear, ‘Well, sir, I can keep just as far away from the edge as possible.’ It is needless to ask which of the men got the job” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness [1969], 217–18).

Romans 12:21 “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”


David O. McKay said:

“All good things require effort. That which is worth having will cost part of your physical being, your intellectual power, and your soul power—“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (Matt. 7:7.) But you have to seek, you have to knock. On the other hand, sin thrusts itself upon you. It walks beside you, it tempts you, it entices, it allures. You do not have to put forth effort. … It is like the billboard advertising attracting you to drink and to smoke. It is like the message that comes into your very homes with the television and radio. … Evil seeks you, and it requires effort and fortitude to combat it. But truth and wisdom are gained only by seeking, by prayer, and by effort.

James 1:12 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

Idol

Best moment from last night:

Paula's dancing.
I don't usually enjoy the last audition performance of the night because it's usually someone who is a terrible singer who gets made fun of and it makes me sad, or it's someone who is a terrible singer who gets all riled up and agry and it just annoys me. But this guy wasn't a terrible singer and he was just so sweet! It wasn't just him that made it the best moment though, it was Paula's dancing - and the expression on her face, Randy almost falling, Paula's sign language, and sweet Reynaldo singing that song over and over and over and...

Blurb

YES!!! My friend Susan posted about Blurb.com It's this great and amazing site where you can have your blog printed in a book! You just d/l their program and can start creating a book made of your blog posts. I've been wanting to find a way to do this ever since I started blogging. It's been my form of journaling, but I've wanted to have a hard copy of it and could never figure out a way. So Yippee for Blurb! Now I just have to decide how much I want to put in each book... I think Maybe I'll do one book a year? What do you think?

Megan's Bargains

My sister-in-law just started this awesome new blog.
Go check it out.

Idol

Best moment from last night:

"Let My People Go"

Happiness is...

- A completely stocked and organized food pantry.
- My kindergartener off to her first day at her new school.
- A freshly bathed, clean baby whose first tooth finally broke through.
- My husband finally having a car again (read this post for why he didn't have a car).
- Having nowhere to go today.
- Blinds in my bedroom.
- An organized playroom(minus all of the books David happily covered the floor with)
- Renters in our Murrieta house(thank you Chris and Vinnie!)
- Taking a shower with soft water (I can finally brush through my hair!)
- American Idol tonight!!! WOOHOO!!!
- Being home

December in a nutshell

With all of the crazy moving I haven't had a chance to post much about our month of December. So here's a (not really)quick picture/video recap:


Our sweet David is 10 months old! He's crawling everywhere, waving "Hi!", opening cupboards, and doing just about anything he can to make us laugh. He is still the most calm and happy baby I have ever seen. I finally cut his mullet right after Christmas and trimmed the sides of his hair. He still needs a trim on top, but I did the most I could before he got anxious to get away from me. Here is a before pic(I don't have an after yet): This picture was too cute to pass up. David was so proud of himself for emptying the toilet paper roll. I know all babies do this at some point, and I'm sure it will annoy me eventually, but how can you not smile at this?

One night while I was at out, and Ian was in charge, David found the girls' dinner plates and had an absolute blast devouring their food(and this was after he had finished his own dinner). Happy boy!

Mckenna was sad to say goodbye to her ballet teacher, Miss Cassie. She loved dance(even though she always spent the first half of it being shy and doing nothing) and can't wait to find a new teacher in AZ. She loves our new house and is always asking to put her shoes on so she can go outside and play. Also...she finally learned her colors!!! I honestly thought for the longest time that she must be colorblind, but she finally learned them and loves telling everyone what color everything is.

Emma had her kindergarten Christmas song presentation that was so super cute. I took videos of every song, but this one entertained me the most - especially her saying "Rudolph" before everyone else, and her great facial expressions.

And here is the sweetest picture of Emma and her Cali girlfriends, Emma and Hailey. She already misses them! This pic was taken the day before we left for AZ, on their last play-date and also the last day of school before the winter break. This picture also happens to be the last picture we have of her with long hair...more pictures to come as soon as I find my camera. She misses California, but has quickly adjusted to our new home. I think the new Christmas presents helped. All day she sits at the dinner table playing with her new Polly pockets or feeding her new baby doll.

Ian got in a minor car accident that did major damage to his Ford Focus. He rear-ended a truck and just slid right under the truck, tearing up the engine. So we sadly said goodbye to our first car together. Ian and Emma were in a Christmas play put on by our stake at church. It was amazing! They practiced for months and performed 6 times over 4 days. They filled the building with attendants and did a great job. It was crazy and stressful and Emma didn't get nearly enough sleep, but I am so glad that they were able to be a part of something so inspiring during a season that celebrates the birth of our Savior. Ian had 3 parts: Nephi(a prophet from ancient America), the innkeeper, and he sang in the angels' chorus. Emma was a dancing star in the star ballet, and so cute. Here's Emma getting ready:

Auntie Chris and Uncle Vinnie with Emma after the play:
The "Star" and Nephi:

Emm and Jed(in the middle of Emma attacking Jed with kisses)

Aunt Shannie and Emma:

Emma and "Joseph," with the real baby lamb(who's name was Mary) from the play: I think this is the only time in our lives where Ian has more makeup on than me(let's hope so).
Here are the video clips from the play. The first two are Ian in the opening scene. The second is Emma and her ballet(so cute!). We were in the first row so she kept smiling at us. The last is the finale and if you look to the left side near the end, you'll see Emma spinning on the stage.


(there's a third video that I keep trying to post here but I think it's took big of a file... I'll keep trying.)

Quote of the day

Emma: "I don't like geting learned."


(context: talking about what cable package to get, one of them had The Learning Channel and Emma didn't want that channel because she doesn't "like getting learned.")

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I'm back!!! And hopefully for good... Let's just pray that there are no more surprises or business going on in this house.

We are officially Zonies now!!(Arizonans) We loaded up the Uhaul on the Thursday before Christmas and drove to Arizona, arriving late Thursday night(or early Friday morning). We were supposed to sign the paperwork for our new house on Friday morning and close escrow and get our keys before the day was over but there was a (lame) holdup in the paperwork. The sales agent was nice enough to let us unload our truck into the garage so we didn't have to pay for it over the weekend. We unloaded a few things on Friday night and then Ian and James unloaded the rest on Saturday. We spent the weekend with Ian's sister, Megan, and her family and finally signed the paperwork and got our keys on Monday morning(Christmas Eve). We moved our stuff into the house and then went back to Megan and James' house for Christmas Eve and morning. As soon as we were done opening presents and eating breakfast we packed up and came back to our new house, anxious to unpack.

So, here we are in our beautiful new home! I christened our house yesterday by making chocolate chip cookies, so it's officially a home now.We've met some of our neighbors(and even had dinner with one family) and very much enjoy the neighborhood. Our dog even escaped and met even more of our neighbors.

We hope all of our Californian friends will feel welcome to visit and stay with us because we miss you already. And if anyone else wants to visit and you're not a Californian, we're accepting applications. ;) I hope the new year brings blessings and joy to all of our family and friends! Happy New Year!!!